Iranian Gold Medals sold through St James

Gold Medals of Iran at St. James Auction 11

St. James Auction 11, which closed earlier this month, offered a group of about 30 lots of Iranian gold medals. Most oft hese are pretty tough to find and some are quite scarce if not rare. The Mother Day gold medal shown above here was one of the top lots, realizing 5,000 British Pounds. This piece features a left facing bust of Empress Farah Diba on the obverse and a seated Empress, with mother and children on the reverse. This medal was issued by the University's Credit Foundation in 1975.

Another highlight of this grouping of Iranian gold featured this stellar 1971 issue commemorating the 2500th Anniversary of the Founding of the Persia Empire. This piece realized 3,700 British Pounds. The obverse hosts conjoined busts of King Cyrus and the Shah of Iran. The reverse displays an ancient cylinder tablet with Imperial Arms above. This tablet is known as the first written description of human rights. The original can be found in the British Museum.

While Iranian gold medals can be difficult to locate, gold coins of Iran are often available. Check out the recently issued Spring/Summer 2009 price list from Steinberg's, Inc. or visit their website at www.steinbergs.com for a good offering of reasonably prices Iranian gold coins. Steinberg's specialize in modern gold coins and always have a nice selection of gold coins of the entire world. Steinberg's website is a great place to explore and expand the collection for both the beginning and experienced gold coin specialist.